Airplane radiator



Augyls, 1925.

B. D. THOMAS AIRPLANE RADIATOR 1.922 2 Sheet's-Sheet l Filed June 1k Aug. 1s, 1925. 5 1,550,468

B. D. THOMAS AIRPLANE'l RADIATOR` Filed Junev 1. 1922 2 sheets-sheet a Snom/16oz 4 Patented Aug. 1s, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF1cE BENJAMIN DOUGLAS THOMAS, F ITHACA, NEW -YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH 'TO THOMAS-MORSE AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION or NEW YORK.

ATRPLANE RADIATOR.

Application ledJ une 1,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN DOUGLAS THOMAS, a subject of the King of Great said to comprise a radiator formed with a body having an exterior contour of substantiallyor approximately a streamline form with an interior longitudinal passage having an opening at the front end for the admission of air, and tubes or air passages extending laterally from said interior passage through the water space and discharging through` the outside wall for permitting a rapid iowl of air from the central passage outward. Another feature of my improvement comprises an oil tank or chamber in combination with the'radiator for completing the general streamline form of the body.

Various forms of construction, embodying, in general, a body of approximately a streamline design with an interior longitudinal air passage andlateral tubes or airpassages, maybe employed, and I have illustrated one suchconstruction in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a transverse section taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figs. 1 and 5; Fig. 4, a front elevation; and, Fig. 5, a central horizontal 4 section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

According to my improvement, the ex terior walls of the body and also-the walls of the interior passage may be of any suitable construction and have any suitable or preferred connection with the lateral air passages, =but according to the particular construction shown in the drawings, the streamline body is formed in twosimilar halves, each comprising a 'vertically curved 7 section, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4:, and

E fastened together'- side by side along its length top and bottom. The interior longitudinal assage is--thus formed of a substantially e liptical section and is preferably 1922. Serial No. 565,196.

made converging from the front toward the rear, as shown.v The radiator is preferably constructed with the tubes, 6, of the type in which the ends are hexagonal and soldered together, in which case, Athe outer walls, 7, of the body and the interior walls, 8,01? the central longitudinal' passage, arecomposed of said soldered'hexagonal ends of the tubes. The tubes or airpassages'', are preferably inclined diagonal-ly from the front toward therear.v

The top portion of the vbody comprises two water inlet chambers or-headers, 9, 9, one for each half section of the radiator, and communicating with/the water space around' the tubes, 6. At the bottom of the bodyy are located the4 twocorresponding headers or chambers, 10, 10, for the forward flow of the water, after passing downward around the tubes, to the water legs, 11, 11, at the front end of the body, through which the water passes to the outlet pipe connections, 13, at the top of the body. This circulation of the cooling water from the inlet pipe connections, 12, throughy the upper chambers, 9, downward around the tubes, 6, forward through the lower chambers or headers, 10, and upward through waterlegs, 11, to the outlet connections, 13, is clearly indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. y

As the radiator moves ythrough 4the air in the forward flight of the airplane, air enters the frontV open lend of the central interior passage, and thenlows in large volume laterally out through the. tubes, 6, to either .used to hold a supply of oil, or other liquid,

and the central interior passage of the radiator may be continued through this tank to the rear end, as indicated at 14, Fig. 5. This-passage may also communicate with the exterior by the lateral passages, 21. The portion of `the air which continues On through the passage, 14e, and through lateral A n n.

` passages, 21, alsoserves 'to cool the oil in Y c old weather,

tank, 15. This tank may be provided with suitable inlet and outlet pipe connections, 18 and 19. The radiator body may be supported in any convenient or preferred manv nerupon the air plane by suitable lugs, 20, indicated in Fig. 1.

'Ihe iiow of air through the interior passage may be controlled by suitable shutters,

and orthis purpose, I have shown the ellip-l tical shutter,.16, mounted on a vertical axis at the `front opening of said passage. There is also shown a similar shutter mounted 1n -the passage, 14, at the forward end of the tank, 15. These shutters may be operated either independently or simultaneously by suitable means and be adjusted to suit diterent conditions; In cold weather the forward Yshutter may be closed, andthe rear one opened, which would tend to rapidly warm up the oil as well as the cooling water. This combination of radiator' and oil tank has the particular advantage that the heat of both the radiator water and the oil may be maintained under conditions of low throttle and gliding of the airplane, at which times there is normally a great tendency for the water and oil to cool rapidly. By this combination, the time required for warming up the motor, preparatory to starting in may also be diminished. lNhen it is desired to increase the cooling ot the 'water and diminish the cooling of the oil, the forward shutter may be lett open, and the rear shutter closed.

It will also be apparent that the cooling eiectiveness of the radiator may be increased by spreading the two halves farther apart `at the front end, thereby allowing a greater volume of air to enter the central interior passage, and this at the same time, increases `the suction at each side, thereby causing an iiipreased iiow through the radiating tubes.

By this means, it is possible to adapt one radiator to a variety of different engines, andprovide for different temperatures and climates in different parts of the country.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desired to secure 1. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately streamline form provided with a central longitudinal air passage, and honeycombed water radiator sections surrounding saidV air passage with lateral air ducts extending from the central air passage to the exterior and inclined rear? wardly.

2. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately streamline form provided with a central longitudinal air passage, water cooling sections surrounding said passage,

and lateral air ducts leading from said passage to the outside.y

3. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately streamline Jform provided with a central longitudinal air passage, water cooling sections surrounding said passage, lateral air ducts leading from said passage to the outside and an adjustable shutter at the front of said passage.

4;. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately streamline form provided with a central longitudinal air passage, water cooling sections surrounding said passage, two" sets ot air tubes leading in opposite directions from said passage thro said water sections to the outside, and water chambers connected to said sections.

5. An airplane radiator comprising a body ot approximately streamline. form provided with a central longitudinal air passage, water cooling sections surrounding said passage, two sets of air tubes leading in opposite directions from said passage thro said water sections to the outside, inlet water chambers at the top and communicating with the 'Water space around saidtubes, and other water chambers at vthe bottom.

6. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately streamline form provided with a centralV longitudinal air passage, water cooling sections surrounding said passage, two sets of air tubes leading in opposite directions from said passage thro said water sections to the outside, inlet water chambers at the top and communicating with the water space around said tubes, water legs on either side of the inlet ot said passage, and water chambers at the bottom for the forward flow of water to said legs.

7. An airplane radiator comp-rising a body ot approximately streamline form provided with a central longitudinal air passage converging towards the rear, honeycomb water sections surrounding said passage, and lateral air ducts leading from said passage through said sections.

8. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately streamline form provided with a central longitudinal air passage of substantially elliptical section, honeycomb Water sections surrounding said passage, and lateral air ducts leading from said passage through said sections.

9. An airplane radiator comprising a body of approximately Vstreamline form comprising two similar curved halt sections connected together longitudinally at top and bottom with a central longitudinal air passage converging towards the rear and water radiator sections surrounding said air passage with lateral air ducts extending from the central air passage to the exterior and inclined rearwardly.

10. A combined radiator and oil tank for airplanes, comprising a .body of approxi- -`mately streamline'form with the radiator at the forward portion and the tank at the rear portion, said bodyk having a ,central lon 'tudinal air assage extending through bot radiator and) sages for the radiator. p

11.` A combined-radiator and tank for airplanes, comprising a body of approximately streamline form with a radiator at .the front portion and a tank at the rear, and having a oentral longitudinal air passage extending through both radiator and tankl lateral tubes for the radiator leading from the central passage through the water space to the outside Wall and adjustable shutter at the front opening of the air passage and another tank, and lateral stir pastudinal air shutter in the passage at the forward end of the tank.

12. ,A combined radiator and oil tank lfor air planes, comprising a body of approximately streamline form with the radiator at the forward portion and the tank at the rear portion, said body'havin -a central lungi# Y assage exten ing throughl both radiator and) tanlgand lateral air paagea for both radiator and tank. In testimony whereof I` have hereunto set Inyhand.

BENJAMIN DOUGLAS THOMAS. 

